It is expected that the crescent of Ramadan will be sighted this year this evening, Shaaban 29, 1445 AH / March 10, 2024 (Al Jazeera)

The Arab world is awaiting the legal sighting of the crescent of the month of Ramadan this evening, Sunday, 29 Shaaban 1445 AH / 10 March 2024 AD, amid official and popular preparations to welcome the holy month.

Preparations to receive this dear guest in the Arab countries varied between official efforts to prepare mosques to perform Tarawih and Tahajjud prayers, and charitable and popular works.

Sighting of the Ramadan crescent

This evening, several Arab and Islamic countries are witnessing reconnaissance and investigation of the sighting of the Ramadan crescent, according to official statements issued on Friday and Saturday by several Arab countries, as announced by: the Saudi Supreme Court, the Crescent Sighting Committee of the Qatari Ministry of Endowments, the Egyptian Fatwa House, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Bahrain, Vision Investigation Committee in the Emirates.

The Ramadan crescent sighting was also announced this evening by the Mufti of Jordan, Ahmed Al-Hasanat, the Ramadan Crescent Sighting Survey Committee in the Sultanate of Oman, and the Sharia Sighting Authority in Kuwait.

The fourth Friday prayer of Ramadan 1444 in Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Holy City amid Israeli restrictions (Anatolia - Archives)

Extensive religious preparations in Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Endowments Department and Al-Aqsa Mosque Affairs in the Holy City also announced that it has completed its preparations to receive worshipers during the month of Ramadan.

Among the preparations announced by the director of the department, Sheikh Azzam Al-Khatib, in a statement, are “the daily leading program for the evening and Tarawih prayers, the sermon, leading, and Holy Qur’an recitation program for Friday prayers, the Holy Qur’an recitation programs, and Sharia science lessons throughout the days of the month of Ramadan and Fridays in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, Al-Aqsa Mosque has been subject to a strict Israeli siege and restrictions on the entry of worshipers into it, amid Israeli threats to restrict the number of worshipers there during Ramadan.

In Saudi Arabia, the head of religious affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, announced - in a statement on Thursday - the schedule for Tarawih and Tahajjud prayers in the two holy mosques, where famous sheikhs, including Al-Sudais, Maher Al-Muaiqly, Yasser Al-Dosari and Bandar Balila, lead the prayers.

In Qatar, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs confirmed - on Thursday - the establishment of Tarawih prayers and prayers in the various mosques of the country, noting that there is a conclusion of the entire Holy Qur’an in the Tarawih prayers and prayers at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha.

In the Emirates and Kuwait, the country's mosques and prayer halls have completed their preparations to hold Tarawih prayers during Ramadan, and Tarawih prayers will also be performed in mosques in Jordan, according to what was reported by local media, last Wednesday.

The Gaza tragedy casts a shadow over the Jordanians' preparations

In light of the Israeli war that has been raging for more than 155 days in Gaza, the Jordanians are preparing for the holy month of Ramadan, amid scenes of killing and destruction that have disturbed the annual preparations to which they are accustomed.

Like other peoples of the Islamic world, Jordanians await the advent of the holy month, and they usually anticipate it by going to the markets to obtain the basic goods they need during it, but what is happening in Gaza has changed the situation.

For his part, academic and sociology researcher Hussein Khazaei said, “What is happening is a message of emotional solidarity that the citizen is part of Gaza, and the Jordanian citizen assumes that he is living and coexisting with the conditions of the Gazans.”

He stated that Jordanian citizens are ignoring the preparations from all sides, "especially as they see the difficult conditions for the people of Gaza, who have no food, water, or medicine."

He explained, "The state of frustration, anxiety, tension, and pain over the unknown fate of what is happening, and everyone is wondering when this arrogance will end. Jordanian society sees itself unable to repel and confront the war on its brothers in Gaza, and it cannot provide any service except with this solidarity, and sending a message that we are hungry with you even if Provides us with food."

Until the end of January, food prices in the Kingdom rose for the seventh month in a row, and their last rate reached 3%, according to the monthly food security report issued recently by the World Bank.

Lebanon.. Zeina is shy in the midst of an economic crisis

As for Lebanon, interest in Ramadan decorations has declined in several major cities, in light of the conditions the country is going through, and coinciding with the continuation of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

But some Lebanese refused to welcome the holy month, albeit with shy adornment, and in a way different from previous years, due to the worsening financial and economic crises in the country, in addition to the war in the south of the country and the Gaza Strip.

The month of Ramadan is of special importance to Muslims in Lebanon, but the manifestations of decorating streets and public places to celebrate the beginning of the month of fasting have declined since the year 2020, with the country entering into a severe economic crisis since the last quarter of 2019, exacerbated by the war in the Gaza Strip and tensions in the south of the country with Israel.

Sidon's streets and squares are usually decorated with colors and Ramadan activities are varied there (Anatolia-Archive)

Days before the start of Ramadan, some shop owners and NGOs decided to put up decorations, hang lanterns, and light up in various forms, stemming from the spirit of the holy month.

When walking around the streets and alleys of Tripoli (north) and the capital, Beirut (centre), one notices that decorations and lighting are limited to some of the main places and streets in the two cities.

In Beirut, decorations were limited to the commercial center, where a Ramadan village was established and decorations were placed on all the mosques and squares near them. Decorations also spread in some streets in New Road, Mar Elias, Barbour, and others.

In Tripoli, decorations were limited to a few places, such as Riad Al-Solh Street on Al-Mina Road, Al-Andalus Street, Marj Al-Zuhour Roundabout in Abi Samra, and the main city square.

For her part, Yasmine Al-Ghamrawi, head of the “For Good, Me and You” association, says, “We are welcoming Ramadan and we have decided, despite the difficult circumstances the region is going through, especially what is happening in Gaza and southern Lebanon, to spread joy with decorations.”

She added that Tripoli used to decorate all its streets in the past, "and all the people of the city celebrate the welcome of the month, but this year the decorations are shy... We feel with our people in Gaza."

She pointed out that the economic situation in Lebanon does not help decorations expand as in previous years, “and the association took this initiative in order not to let the month pass without decorations, even in one street... to send a message of yes to welcoming Ramadan with joy.”

In turn, Rashid Nasr al-Din al-Sayegh explained that the Tripoli municipality used to decorate public facilities every year, but this year it did not do so due to the economic crisis.

He added, "My friends and I from the Al-Mina neighborhood took the initiative to decorate part of the facilities. We loved spreading joy and happiness on the faces of the people of the area to welcome the month of Ramadan and make them feel that this month has a special advantage."

Since 2019, the Lebanese have been suffering from an unprecedented economic crisis that has led to a record collapse in the value of the local currency against the dollar (from 1,500 liras/dollar to 90,000 liras currently), in addition to a scarcity of fuel and medicine, and the collapse of their purchasing power.

The Yemen war is in its tenth year

As for Yemen, after about 10 years of war that began after the Houthi group took control of the capital, Sana’a, in September 2014, the Yemenis are welcoming the month of Ramadan in difficult living conditions that have affected their joy in welcoming the month of mercy and forgiveness.

Citizen Abdullah Nasser says, "We welcome our tenth Ramadan and we are living in the worst living conditions in the world. We no longer have our daily food because of the war. We have not bought anything needed for the month of Ramadan, as we do not have money."

Nasser is one of the millions of Yemenis who are facing one of the worst humanitarian and economic crises in the world, as a result of the repercussions of the war, and estimates indicate that 17.6 million people (out of 35 million) face acute food insecurity in 2024, according to a report issued last February by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Yemenis are welcoming their tenth Ramadan with no prospect of resolving the conflict in the country, in addition to the continued deterioration of the local currency and a sharp rise in prices, as the exchange rate of one dollar approached 1,700 riyals, rising from only a thousand riyals following the formation of the Presidential Leadership Council in April 2022.

The Sudanese accept to drink the "bitter-sweet" drink during Ramadan (Al-Jazeera)

Sudanese welcome Ramadan with an empty “food basket”.

As for the Sudanese, over the years they have become accustomed to a special atmosphere preceding the advent of the month of Ramadan, where you can smell the scent of making the famous popular drink “sweet bitter” spread throughout residential neighborhoods in cities and villages.

However, that atmosphere will fade during the month of fasting this year, due to the war that deprived the Sudanese of the joy of the month of fasting, as the smell of gunpowder and fire overshadowed the smell of “bitter sweet,” and displacement is the broad title instead of gathering at Ramadan tables.

Preparations for Ramadan differed this year with the continuation of the war - which has been ongoing since April 15, 2023 - in several regions of the country. The lack of goods and foodstuffs, their high prices, and the difficulty of obtaining them is the most prominent feature and the talk of the hour among citizens who are looking forward to ending the war.

Ramadan also arrives this year in Sudan, with the presence of more than 6 million displaced people in shelters in schools and universities in different regions, and who depend on relief aid that often does not reach them due to the fighting.

The situation was further aggravated by the absence of banking applications for transferring money due to the interruption of communications for weeks in Khartoum and the Al-Jazira region, as well as weak communications in other states because most of those in these areas depend on financial assistance from family and friends.

To overcome this dilemma, initiatives have emerged among Sudanese abroad to collect funds to prepare Ramadan baskets for those inside the country.

According to UN statistics, about 25 million Sudanese need urgent humanitarian aid.

Source: Al Jazeera + Anatolia